I know, it’s almost March. Is now really the time to worry about swarming termites? Well, as it turns out, different termites in different areas swarm at different times of the year in Southern California, which is a favorite home of human and termite alike. So When Do Termites Swarm in California?
As a general rule of thumb termites swarm on a warm day after a rainfall. To keep us on our toes though swarms also may occur during the winter in say, a heated building. It really can seem quite random to the laymen but there are patterns.

Western Drywood termites can swarm from September to October while the Southeastern Drywood termites swarm from late May to the middle of June. As I said getting an exact idea on when termites are going to swarm can be difficult. So lets take a look at the swarming habits of the most common species in California.

In Southern California, the western drywood termite swarms during the day any time between September and November. It may swarm earlier in northern parts of the state.

Here are some other common termites we like to handle for you and when you might see them swarm:

The Western Subterranean Termite – During the day in autumn, winter or early spring.

The Arid-land Subterranean Termite- In the daylight in spring and fall.

The Desert Subterranean Termite- At night from July to September.

In San Diego County, Formosan Termite- At night, peaking in June and July. Swarms may take place for several more months.

The Desert Drywood Termite- At night from June to September.

The Pacific Dampwood Termite- From August to October, at dusk.

The Nevada Dampwood Termite- In spring at higher elevations and in summer and early fall in coastal areas.

Wild huh? Did you know there were that many kinds of termites out there? Don’t worry, we did.